Masbania
Masbania, officially known as the 'Commonwealth of Masbania '(Comunidade da Masbania), is a country situated in the northern Atlantic Ocean, the nearest countries to the nation being Portugal, Cape Verde, Morocco and Ireland. Masbania's capital is Amber City (Cidade de Âmbar), which also happens to be it's largest city. The official languages of the nation are English and Portuguese. History Prehistory: 175,000,000 BC to 17th century About 175 million years ago, Pangea broke, which resulted in many continents and islands being formed, the Masbanian islands being one of those sets of islands. These islands were soon inhabited by native Masbanians, which discovered it to be habitable. Portuguese colonisation: Early 17th century Southern Masbania was discovered and claimed by the Portuguese Empire in the mid-17th century, where they set up the Colônia Âmbar (Amber Colony), named so for the numerous trees which secreted amber sap near the colony. Part of this area is now known as Amber City. English colonisation: Early 18th century The English eventually discovered the northern end of Masbania in the early 18th century, also setting up a colony, which was known as the Blue Colony, the reasoning of such a name is unknown, but there has been long-running speculation that it was named for the blue rocks formerly found in what is now known as Port Arliston. Masbanian Colonial War: Late 18th century-Early 19th century The Portuguese colonists eventually spotted English colonists upon the biannual voyage on the 6th of August 1789. This eventually led to the Masbanian Colonial War, which raged on for 8 years after that date. Eventually, the colonists signed a treaty where the English colonists could get about 80% of the northern section of Masbania (Blue Colony), while the Portuguese colonists were entitled to the southern half of Masbania (Amber Colony). The area known as Amber City today was a neutral zone, where colonists could settle potential disputes over the areas. The natives were entitled to an area at the border of the Blue and Amber colonies, officially known as the NRZ (Native Reserved Zone), but colloquially known as the "Green Zone". This arrangement, officially known as the Masbania Treaty, lasted from the 9th of January 1797 to the 17th of September 1902. Masbanian Independence War and modern Masbania: 1902-now Residents of the Green Zone were consistently marginalised and were rarely considered in policies devised during the treaties. This led to the creation of the Masbanian Independence Force (Portuguese: Força de Independência Masbaniana), which declared war on both the English and Portuguese on the 17th of September 1902. The war lasted for nearly 4 years, with the Masbanian Declaration of Federation occurring on the 16th of June 1906, thereby declaring Masbania a self-governing, free and independent nation. Masbania is still a part of the Commonwealth of Nations, but now is largely self-governing, with the exception of a Governor-General representing the Monarch. Economy Masbania is a wealthy country, with a market economy, high GDP/GDP per capita of MB£134,590,000 and a low rate of poverty, measured at 10.1% in the most recent census (2017). The currency of the nation is the Masbanian pound. The economy of Masbania is varied, with the largest field of employment being professionals, with other fields like management, technology, and economists playing other roles. The industrial sector like agriculture, manufacturing, mining and construction play an important role in the nation's economy. The service sector (tourism, retail, education, financial services) also generate much of the nation's GDP. Masbania has many exports, including jewellery, the country's largest export, minerals like gold and natural resources like coal and wheat. Countries like Portugal, the UK, the US, Sweden, Denmark, France and spain are the largest trading partners of the country. The largest stock exchange is the Amber City Stock Exchange (ACSE) based in the capital, with many large national companies like Port Mining Corporation, Bank of Amber City, NuCom, The Daily Sun, Alliance Media and Nation Travel Co. traded on the exchange. Demographics The average population density of Masbania is 68 people per square kilometre, making it the 115th most dense country in the world ahead of Eswatini. The population is heavily concentrated on the south and northeast coast. Metropolitan areas with over 1 million inhabitants include Amber City, Port Arliston, Northfield, Costa Branca, Lake Collingwood and Brookfield. The country is largely urbanised, with some patches of rural areas. 71% of the population lived in metropolitan areas in the most recent census of 2017. Masbania's average age is 27.9, younger than most developed countries. Ethnic groups found in the country include white European people (majority descended from the colonists from England and Portugal but also migrants from Eastern Europe), Africans who migrated from the continent and descendants of slaves, Indigenous Masbanians who have been there since they discovered the islands millions of years ago. Asians have migrated to the country, principally from Japan and India, but also from China, Vietnam, Korea and many other areas. Many other, smaller ethnic, religious and cultural groups make up the rest of the population. Geography and climate Being a northern hemisphere country, Masbania experiences a somewhat warm summer followed by cold winters and mild temperatures during autumn and spring. Southern Masbania falls under a Köppen sub-tropical climate, while Northern Masbania falls under the Köppen sub-polar oceanic climate. The average maximum temperature is 23.2 degrees Celsius, with the highest maximum being 41.9 degrees Celsius in Costa Branca in 1992, with the minimum average temperature being 10.2 degrees Celsius, the coldest being recorded as -4 degrees Celsius at Port Arliston in 1884. Native plant and animal species found in Masbania include the Masbanian Aspen, Masbanian Downy Birch and the Masbanian Blackbird. Most of these species have adapted to the vast differences in climate across the nation. Education There are four levels of education in Masbania: Preschool (optional), Primary school, Secondary/high school and Tertiary/University. The usual school day runs from around 8:30 am to 3 pm. Breaks are on winter (3 weeks), spring (2 weeks), summer (8 weeks), and autumn (2 weeks), as well as national holidays (see below). Large universities found in the country include University of Masbania, Amber City University, Northfield University, Universidade de Costa Branca, along with many smaller insitiutions. Military and defence Masbania's armed forces are currently under the control of the Masbanian Ministry of Defence, which comprises the Masbanian Army, Navy and Air Force. Combined, Masbania's defence forces has 76,923 personnel, of which 16,876 are counted as reserves (as of the 2017 census). The nominal controller of the defence forces is the Governor-General, which appoints a Chief of Defence after consulting with the government. The chief of Defence further appoints a Chief for the Army, Nave and Air Force respectively. Masbania spent 1.3% of the nation's GDP (~£79,000,000) on its defence force as of the most recent budget (2019-2020). This makes it the 14th largest military expenditure in the world, tied with Canada. Infrastructure Many different options of transport can be found in Masbania. Railways are fairly common, with Masbanian Railways operating services connecting major cities and large regional centres, along with major cities having forms of commuter rail. Freight railways are also common, with the largest one running from Port Arliston to the Central Agricultural Area. Ferries are fairly common in the nation as well, being an island nation. Northern islands of the country are connected by government owned ferries with Port Arliston and Northfield, along with some cities having some ferries as public transport. Highways link major, minor and regional areas with each other, along with bus services operating on the highways connecting these areas. Masbania is one of the most cycle-friendly nations, with 86 km of cycle paths found in Amber City as of 2017. Airports can be found in major cities and some regional centres, with the largest airport being Amber City International Airport (IATA: AEC, ICAO: EMAC). Culture Music Popular kinds of music in Masbania include pop, dance, rock and electronic music. Traditional Indigenous music is still played at various cultural celebrations, and local artists take much prominence on the Masbanian Top 50 charts. Classical music symphony orchestras and opera societies are also found in major centres like Amber City and Port Arliston. Film Film studios found in Masbania include Film Masbania, Topaz Studios and NuCinema. The highest-grossing film in Masbanian history is Avengers: Endgame with £2,950,000 made on its opening day alone, while the highest-grossing Masbanian made film is Lost in the Open at £1,350,000 on its first day. Film festivals in Masbania include Amber City Film Festival and The Northern Festival. Art A popular form of art is impressionism, a type of art still practiced today in various parts of Masbania. Art galleries in Masbania include the Masbania Art Gallery, Northern Gallery, and the Gallery of Modern Art. Art festivals are also fairly common. Sports Sport is an integral part of Masbanian culture, popular sports played include football, rugby and basketball. Baseball, ice hockey, tennis and volleyball also have sizeable followings in the country. Major sport leagues include the Masbania First League (football), Masbania Rugby One Championship (rugby), Masbanian National Basketball League (basketball) and the Masbanian Baseball Premier League (baseball). Food Masbanian cuisine is widely varied, with many different kinds of food including sandwiches, soups and sweet pastry dishes being commonplace. Stir fries along with a dish known as Matwenje, compared to a local analogue of pizza, are also fairly common. Other cuisines have been introduced mainly from immigration but have been shaping cultural diversity in the nation. Media and telecommunications Forms of media found in Masbania include internet, radio, television and print. Alliance Media is the country's largest media company, owning the national newspaper The Alliance, 12 magazines, 7 local newspapers and 7 radio stations. Other companies include Masbania Public Broadcasting, Radiodifusão Pública Masbania, Masbanian Broadcasting Company, Amber Media Network, Metrópole Mídia, Rede Ôceanica and 5net Media. Internet coverage is widespread, with 93% of urban areas and 76% of rural areas having 4G coverage, and public wi-fi networks can be found in most urban and major rural areas. Telecommunications/internet providers include Masbania Telecom, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and O2. Government and politics Government There are three main levels of government in Masbania: Federal, provincial and local government. The power of which each level has varied but all are integral in shaping the nation. Federal After independence in 1906, Masbania adopted the parliamentary constitutional monarchy system after pressure from the people. This means that although the Monarch is the head of state, their presence is usually symbolic and the nation lays in the hands of the President and his committee of ministers. Legislative power is held in the Senate and House of Federation. The Senate consists of 60 seats, 8 from each province plus 4 from each of the two territories. The House of Federation consists of 150 seats, a representative elected from each electoral division. Provincial By Federal Law passed at Foundation (16 June 1906), all state parliaments must be unicameral, meaning there is only one level of parliament. The amount of representatives in each state parliament varies. For example, a small territory like the Capital Territory (i.e. Amber City) only has 25 seats, while a larger province like the State of Costa Branca would have more seats because of its size. Laws Implementation of certain laws in Masbania has made it a very socially progressive country and a very safe place to live. Many laws have been made to prevent discrimination based on race, age, religious belief, gender, sexuality, disability and mental illness. Tight gun control laws have been implemented to keep people safe from mass shootings and marijuana was legalised in June of 2019. Freedom of speech, belief and the press are guaranteed in the constitution. The voting age, marriage age, drinking age and smoking age is 18. A law passed in 1996 prevents animal cruelty, of which it can be punished by up to 20 years in jail. Politics Masbania's political system is democratic and accommodates many beliefs and ideologies. The nominal head of state is the Monarch, Queen Elizabeth the Second, however her presence is usually symbolic. The President is classified as the head of state, in this case Craig Johnson. The Prime Minister/Vice-President is Lisa Weston. Both of them are members of the Masbania Party, the current reigning party. Political parties in Masbania include the: *Masbania Party (centre-left) *Conservative Party (right-wing) *Progressive Party (left-wing) *Worker's Party (centre-right) *Nation Party (centre) *Millennium Party (centre-left) *Socialist Party (left-wing) *The Greens (centre-left) *Federation Party (right-wing) Administrative divisions Province (capital city) *Federal Capital Territory (Amber City) *Great Lakes Province (Lake Collingwood) *Costa Branca Province (Costa Branca) *Topaz Province (Northfield) *Arliston Bay Province (Port Arliston) *Central Plains Province (Hanover) *Southwest Province (St Francis) *Winter Lake Province (Brookfield) *Northern Islands Territory (Independence Island) National holidays *New Year's Day: January 1 *Indigenous Day: April 14 *Easter Sunday: Varies *May Day: May 1 *Independence Day: 16 June (if it falls on a weekend it is moved to the Monday after) *Queen's Birthday: 2nd Monday in June (if it happens to fall on Independence Day, it is moved to the week after) *Summer Solstice: Varies *Christmas: December 25 *Boxing Day: December 26 *Winter Solstice: Varies *New Year's Eve: December 31 Category:Masbania Category:Country Category:Countries Category:Europe Category:Large Countries